Latest news with #JoshNewbury
Daily Mirror
19-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Highly contagious disease could return to UK as it's just a 'matter of time'
The highly contagious disease was eradicated in Britain in 2007 - but it's poised to make a return if the UK Government doesn't act fast, health officials have warned Health officials are sounding the alarm over the possible return of a highly contagious virus to the UK, warning that unless swift action is taken, the country could face a major outbreak. Foot-and-mouth disease, which causes painful blisters in the mouths and hooves of livestock, was eradicated in Britain in 2007. While harmless to humans, it can contaminate animal products like meat and milk. Rare cases have been linked to people drinking raw milk from infected cows, though such instances are extremely uncommon. Now fresh outbreaks across Europe are raising serious concerns. The disease was first detected on a Hungarian cattle farm in early March and spread within two weeks to three farms in neighbouring Slovakia - the first reported cases in both countries in over 50 years. Germany has also reported infections, sparking border closures and mass culls. There are fears the virus could now slip through without suitable checks at UK borders. Jamie Pout, Dover District Council's environmental lead, warned that authorities at the Port of Dover are 'barely scratching the surface' when it comes to adequate checks. 'It's a matter of time' before foot-and-mouth or African swine fever crosses into Britain, he said. The economic toll of an outbreak could be devastating. Affected farmers face huge losses - from culling herds to reduced milk yields. The wider agricultural industry could also take a hit, with the potential loss of access to foreign markets for British meat, dairy, and livestock. In response, the UK has banned all commercial imports of livestock - including pigs, sheep, cattle and deer - from affected countries. Meat and dairy products are also restricted, and health certificates for animal-origin goods from those regions are no longer being issued. In April, the Government also enforced a ban on "bringing items like sandwiches, cheese, cured meats, raw meats or milk into Great Britain". It means Brits must avoid bringing dairy products from certain animals back to the country when returning from the EU, EFTA States, the Faroe Islands or Greenland. Labour MP Josh Newbury - a member of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) - highlighted poor conditions at UK ports last week, saying he witnessed health inspections happening under "rusty canopies, with nesting pigeons [in buildings] that had no walls". He added that these facilities had "no ability to wash down" and lacked PPE equipment, other than gloves. Last week, the Government lifted restrictions on livestock from Germany after the country was declared disease free. Following allegations from the border, the government said it will do "whatever it takes" to protect British farmers from disease, incuding increased seizures of illegal meat products and a £200million boost towards research and lab testing facilities to help protect against animal disease.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Foot-and-mouth outbreak 'when, not if' - Port of Dover boss
A councillor responsible for health at the Port of Dover has warned the return of foot-and-mouth disease to the UK is inevitable, unless government funding Pout, of Dover District Council, said the health authority was "barely scratching the surface" when it came to suitable checks at the Kent added it was "a matter of time" until foot-and-mouth disease or African swine fever arrived in the port has been approached for comment, while the government said it would do "whatever it takes" to protect British farmers from disease. The government added that it had significantly increased seizures of illegal meat products, restricted animal products from EU countries with outbreaks, and banned personal meat and dairy imports for EU said it was also investing more than £200m in a new National Biosecurity Centre. It comes after recent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease in Germany, Hungary and disease is a highly infectious virus that causes blisters inside an animal's mouth and under their hooves, which can cause lameness and problems poses no risk to humans and there are currently no cases in the products of animal origin, like meat and dairy, could potentially be MP Josh Newbury, who sits on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA), said last week that he saw health inspections at the port being done under "rusty canopies, with nesting pigeons [in buildings] that had no walls".Facilities had "no ability to wash down" and lacked personal protection equipment other than gloves, he added. Roy Glover, a third-generation livestock farmer and butcher from Hartley Bottom Farm, near Dartford, called the UK's last foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in 2001 "devastating" for local said it put "stress" on his family farm and business."It was terrible. I remember being unable to sleep worrying that our farm could be next," he said."You'd see other farms go down, and you'd spend your time thinking that it could be you next."Mr Glover urged the government to take foot-and-mouth disease seriously."More needs to be done. If foot-and-mouth disease comes through again, it could financially ruin our farm and butchers."
